Find Criminal Records in Norfolk

Norfolk criminal records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk at 150 Saint Paul's Boulevard and by the General District Court for the 4th Judicial Circuit. Norfolk is an independent city in Virginia with its own court system and no parent county. Felony records go through the Circuit Court, and misdemeanor cases are handled by the General District Court. You can search Norfolk criminal case records online through the Virginia OCIS system for free, or request documents in person or by mail from the clerk's office. The Norfolk Police Department and the Sheriff's Office also maintain records tied to arrests and jail bookings.

Norfolk Circuit Court Criminal Records

The Norfolk Circuit Court Clerk maintains all felony criminal records for the city. The Clerk's Office is at 150 Saint Paul's Boulevard, Suite 2000, Norfolk, VA 23510. Circuit Court Clerk Gary M. Jackson oversees the office. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The court handles around 1,500 or more felony cases each year, and every one of those cases creates a file the public can access under state law.

Criminal case files in Norfolk Circuit Court include grand jury indictments, criminal warrants, all motions and pleadings, court orders, jury verdict forms, sentencing guidelines, presentence reports, and final dispositions. The court uses the Judicial Information Management System (JIMS) for case tracking. Records are maintained electronically from 1985 to the present. Older records are archived off-site and may take 3 to 5 days to retrieve. Copy fees follow Virginia Code § 17.1-275 at $0.50 per page for standard copies, $2.00 per document for certified copies, and $5.00 for exemplified copies. The Clerk accepts cash, check, money order, and credit cards with a processing fee.

When you request records by mail, include the defendant's name, date of birth, case number if known, the specific documents you want, your contact information, and payment. For a certified criminal record check from the Circuit Court, the fee is $15 per name searched. Results include any felony convictions with case numbers and disposition dates.

General District Court and Online Records

The Norfolk General District Court is at 150 Saint Paul's Boulevard, Suite 3202, Norfolk, VA 23510. The Clerk is Jennifer Leigh Morgan. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays. This court handles misdemeanor cases, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony cases. The court processes more than 25,000 criminal and traffic cases per year. Criminal Division can be reached at (757) 664-4915 or (757) 664-4916. For traffic matters, call (757) 664-4911 or (757) 664-4912.

The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System at eapps.courts.state.va.us gives free access to Norfolk criminal case records. Search by name, case number, or hearing date to find both circuit and district court cases. The system shows charges, court dates, and case status. It does not show the full document text, just the case summary. For copies of specific documents, contact the clerk's office directly. The court also participates in the Virginia Online Payment System (VJOPS) so you can pay fines online for eligible cases through norfolk.gov.

Note: Copy fees for the General District Court are $0.50 per page for standard copies and $2.00 per document for certified copies. Fax numbers for the court: Criminal (757) 640-8320, Traffic (757) 640-8319.

Police Reports and Arrest Records

The Norfolk Police Department Records Division is at Police Headquarters, 3661 East Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk, VA 23502. The division is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It handles requests for incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, and calls for service. Visit in person, submit online, or mail a request. Accident reports are also available through BuyCrash.com. Most reports are ready 3 to 5 business days after the incident. The Norfolk Police Department uses a computerized records management system and reports arrests to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange within 72 hours under state law.

The Virginia Sex Offender Registry at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov includes all registrants from Norfolk. Norfolk residents can search the registry by address or name to find registered sex offenders in their area. Under Virginia Code § 9.1-913, the State Police are required to publish this information online. You can search the public registry at no cost for violent sex offenders.

Norfolk residents can search the registry by address or name to find registered sex offenders in their area.

The Norfolk Sheriff's Office operates the Norfolk City Jail at 811 East Union Street, Norfolk, VA 23523. The jail holds pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates serving terms up to one year. The Sheriff also runs the Hampton Roads Regional Jail along with other area cities. The Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate locator that shows current inmates with booking information, charges, bond status, and court dates. You can also check state prison inmates through the VADOC Offender Locator at vadoc.virginia.gov. Victim notification for custody changes is handled through VINE at vinelink.vineapps.com.

Expunging Norfolk Criminal Records

Norfolk residents can petition to expunge criminal records under Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2. Expungement applies when a charge was acquitted, dismissed, or a nolle prosequi was entered. The petition goes to the Norfolk Circuit Court since the case was disposed of there. You file in the city where the case ended, which for most Norfolk cases means the same Circuit Court at 150 Saint Paul's Boulevard.

Virginia's criminal statutes at law.lis.virginia.gov govern how Norfolk courts process and maintain criminal records. Title 19.2 of the Code of Virginia applies to all Norfolk criminal cases, from arrest through final appeal. The petition for expungement must include the date of arrest, the name of the arresting agency, the specific charge, the date of final disposition, your date of birth, and the full name used at arrest. The Commonwealth's Attorney has 21 days to respond after being served. A hearing is held, and if the court finds continued existence of the record would cause manifest injustice, it orders expungement including electronic records.

Title 19.2 of the Code of Virginia applies to all Norfolk criminal cases, from arrest through final appeal.

For misdemeanor arrests with no prior record, Virginia law says you are entitled to expungement absent good cause to deny it. Felony expungements face a higher bar. Virginia has also added a sealing process under Chapter 23.2 of Title 19.2 for some additional situations. An attorney can tell you which option fits your case.

Legal Resources in Norfolk

For state background checks on Norfolk residents, use the Virginia State Police CCRE. Submit an SP-167 form for a name search at $15, or $20 for the combo search that includes the Sex Offender Registry. Forms are at vsp.virginia.gov/forms. Mail the completed form with payment to the Virginia State Police CCRE. This gives you the most complete picture of someone's Virginia criminal history because it pulls from the central state database.

The Virginia FOIA Council at foiacouncil.dls.virginia.gov can help if a Norfolk office denies your records request. The Council issues advisory opinions and offers mediation services. Under Virginia Code § 2.2-3704, public bodies must respond to FOIA requests within five working days. Basic incident information, arrest records, and case information are generally public. Detailed investigative files may be withheld if disclosure would harm an active case.

Note: For legal advice about Norfolk criminal records or expungement, contact a licensed Virginia attorney or a local legal aid organization in the Hampton Roads region.

Nearby Jurisdictions

Norfolk is an independent city with no parent county. It is surrounded by other independent cities in the Hampton Roads region. If you need criminal records from a neighboring jurisdiction, see the pages below for Portsmouth and Chesapeake, which have their own courts and record systems.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Norfolk. Each is an independent city in Virginia with its own court system and criminal records office.